Secrets of the South Tour.

Are you interested in textiles, weaving, dyeing, felting and embroidery, and learning about the cultures of China's Ethnic Minority People ? Did you know there is a secret women's language ? Known as nu shu, it is still found in a few villages in Hunan Province. You will have a chance to learn it. There is also an optional tour to The Kingdom of Women, home of the matriarchal Mosuo people.

Best time to travel? September and October. 17- day tour, with 15 days in China.You will travel to the Provinces of: Yunnan, Guizhou, Guangxi, Hunan and Guangdong.

Leave Melbourne at 00;05 by Singapore Airlines flight SQ218 arrive at 06;00. Connect with SQ856, at 08;20 arrive at 12;20. Picked up by tour guide then transferred to hotel. After check-in, take a break and recover from the long flight. At around 15.30, our guide will meet us again, and we will have a walk in the city, then enjoy dinner at a local restaurant, followed by a Pearl River night cruise. The historic city of Guangzhou was previously known as Canton. (D)

Day 03 Guangzhou/Yangshuo

After breakfast, met by guide and check out. If possible, we will meet with a group of local women in the morning. Visit Chen Clan Ancestral Hall which includes the Guangdong Folk Art Museum. This large complex of buildings dating from around 1890s was built to honour the Chen family. The buildings and ornamentation are exquisitely decorated, wood carvings, plaster work, painting, all of the highest standard. There are several "halls" and courtyard complexes. Many of the buildings make up the Chen Clan Academy ( school). After lunch, go by high-speed train to Yangshuo . (B,L,)

Day 04 Yangshuo

Here we are in beautiful Yangshuo, amid the amazing scenery. Enjoy some free time, take a stroll along Westerners St, where you can get pizza and other western food, and also see the small shops which sell scarves, bags, jewellery, embroideries, etc, etc! Relax, have a massage or facial. In afternoon, visit Fuli ancient town, one of the best preserved villages in this area. Enjoy the 1,000 year old village, and have a chance to learn about fan-painting- we will see a demonstration. Fuli is known for it's exquisite decorated fans. They make great gifts or souvenirs- very pretty, totally handmade and- light to carry. In evening, experience the amazing Sister Liu Light Show, performed on land and water, on an inlet of the Li River. Zhang Yi Mou, director and choreographer of the Beijing Olympics Opening also created Sister Liu. (B,D)

Day 05 Yangshuo- Jiangyong Pumei Village- Guilin

After breakfast, drive 150km to Pumei Village (3 hours), which is the birthplace of nu shu, or women's writing. You will visit Nu shu Eco-Museum. You will see the collections of the materials and documents relating to the women's script. The local Nu shu teacher will give a short talk about the unique language, and you can try some calligraphy at the special classroom.. You can enjoy your boxed lunch here. After that, drive 210 km back to Guilin via highway (3 hours). (B,L,D) Women's Secret Language.

Day 06 Guilin - Sanjiang-Chengyang/Sanjiang

Take high speed train to Sanjiang, Guangxi Province, in the late morning. Transfer to Chengyang after lunch ( it is close by). Visit Chengyang Village, including the famous Wind & Rain Bridge and Drum Tower. This village is home to Minority People, known as Dong or Kam. You can learn about their culture, and experience a weaving demonstration. Overnight in guesthouse in the village or hotel in Sanjiang town. (B,L,D)

Day 07 Chengyang/Sanjiang-Basha- Zhaoxing.

A pleasant drive to Congjiang, Guizhou Province, (3hrs) in the morning. En route enjoy the rural countryside and visit Dong/Kam villages. Visit Basha Miao Village at Congjiang. This village is called "the last gun tribe" in China, as inhabitants are the only people to legally use guns. The village is situated in a hilly forest area, the houses are built on stilts, near the river. Drive to Zhaoxing, Guizhou Province, in the afternoon. 2 nights Zhaoxing .(B,L,D) Watch this for more. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3taDL0yUZE

Day 08 Zhaoxing

Walk in Zhaoxing Village, where people still make cloth, using indigo dyeing, in the ancient way. Visit a local Dong family, and cook a typical Dong meal with these friendly ethnic people. Zhaoxing is known as No. 1 Dong Village, with over 800 house and 4,000 inhabitants. They are known for their singing and dancing, the most famous being the Grand Song. (B,L,D).

Day 09 Zhaoxing-Rongjiang

Depart after breakfast and drive to Rongjiang. En route you will visit a local fair. Good opportunity to view different minority people from nearby villages wearing their own traditional clothes- so very colourful. Afterwards visit a Black Miao village to see their special embroidery. Overnight in Rongjiang. (B,L,D)

Day 10 Rongjiang- Kaili

Transfer to Kaili, Guizhou Province, today with about 6.5hrs driving. En route visit a Shui Village and Miao Villages. You will see batik processing and silk felt demonstrations. You will also notice that costumes of Miao people in different villages are different, especially in their embroideries. See their houses, meet the people. Kaili is the centre of Miao culture. (B,L,D)

Day 11 Kaili-Duyun/Guiyang- Kunming

Visit a textile workshop to view collections of clothes from different minority groups and enjoy a lecture about textiles and embroidery. You will have chance to learn one or two embroideries. Afternoon transfer to Guiyang for flight departing for Kunming. Leave at 18.55, arrive at 20;05, fly by flight CZ3423. Overnight in Kunming. ( B,L,D)

Day 12 Kunming-Shangri-la ( Zhongdian)

Morning flight to Shangri-la. This city is the home to mainly Tibetan people. It is surrounded by mountains, the eastern end of the Himalayas and is around 3,200 metres above sea level. Visiting a family is a good start to understanding a culture- we visit a Tibetan village and family, and then explore the Old Town. (B,L,D)

Day 13 Shangri-la

Visit Songzanlin Monastery, the largest in Yunnan Province, which is sometimes called the little Potala Palace. Amazing to think that it was built in around 1679. The interiors of the buildings range from large areas built for large crowds, to smaller chapel- like areas. All are richly decorated, with gold and brightly-coloured walls and ceilings, many sculptures, carved wood decorations, and woven silk awnings. It is still used as a monastery, and monks can be seen going about their business. After lunch, visit the Yunnan Mountain Heritage Centre which was set up in 2006 to protect and support the Minority People in Shangri-la. Staff work in partnership with local people, and they do have a shop which sells handicrafts.

Day 14 Shangri-la- Lijiang

Drive to Lijiang ( about 3 hours) through stunning scenery. Stop en route at Tiger Leaping Gorge, which can be viewed from above, or enjoyed close-up. One of the deepest gorges in the world, it carries the waters of the Jinshi River, the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. In the afternoon, we visit a Baisha Naxi Village, then enjoy some free time in Lijiang's Old Town. The network of narrow cobblestoned laneways with quaint shops on either sides, the market square at it's centre, are a great ending to this exciting day. (B,L,D).Day 15 Lijiang/ Kunming

Visit Yak Meadow Mountain by cable car, sailing way over the tops of trees, across valleys, and the tops of hills. Yaks can be spotted in the gullies. We next visit the Yufeng Temple with it's 1,000 year-old camellia tree. Fly back to Kunming by China Eastern Airlines, flight MU5926, leave 18;50, arrive 20;00 (B,L,)

Day 16 Kunming/ Singapore

Free in the morning, enjoy a leisurely breakfast and time in Kunming, picked up by tour guide and transferred to airport. Depart for Singapore by M11913, at 13.10, arrive Singapore at 17:15, connect with flight DQ227, leave at 21:15.

Day 17 Singapore/ Melbourne

Arrive Melbourne at 06:40.

OPTIONAL SHORT TOUR TO LUGU LAKE ( The Kingdom of Women) for your group.

Day 15- Lijiang

Same as main tour, but stay overnight in Lijiang. (B,L)

Day 16 Lijiang - Lugu Lake

Transfer to Lugu Lake by private bus ( about 7 hours). On arrival, have a Mosuo wedding dinner party plus a campfire party. (B,L,D)

Day 17 Lugu Lake

View the lake on the Lake View platform, then visit the local Moshuo house and gain more knowlodge of the Mosuo culture, including marriage, food, house, etc. Take a boat tour on the lake and in the afternoon visit a Mosuo family. Free for the rest of the day. (B,L,D)

Day 18 Lugu Lake- Kunming

Fly back to Kunming by China Eastern airlines, leave at 10.50, arrive at 11;45. ( Flights between Lugu and Kunming, only on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. overnight in Kunming.(B).

Day 19 Kunming/Singapore

Free in the morning, picked up by tour guide and transferred to airport. Departure for Singapore by M11913, leave at 13.10, arrive Singapore at 17:15, connect flight DQ227, leave at 21:15.

Day 20 Singapore/Melbourne

Arrive in Melbourne at 06:40.

If you are interested, contact us for more information. Or check out this page China Tours